OWLS GEAR UP FOR FALL SPORTS COMPETITION

Once again it is that time of year — returning and new students have arrived on campus, classes have finally begun and the fall sports season is just about to get underway. Bryn Mawr's scholar-athletes have been hard at work in preseason practices for several weeks and are eager to hit the courts, fields and race courses for fall competition. Bryn Mawr will field teams in cross country, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, crew and tennis.

Cross Country Looks to Improve on Promising 2004 Season

Despite graduating three strong seniors (Joanna Simonis, Melissa Leedle and Joy Racowski), the Bryn Mawr cross-country team is optimistic about the upcoming 2005 season. Simonis and Leedle were selected All-Centennial Conference last season, and Simonis was also All-Mideast Region (Leedle earned All-Mideast Region honors in 2003). Their departure will leave Head Coach Dan Talbot with a young team full of potential in 2005 and beyond.

Tonda Shimbo '07, Laura Cyckowski '08 and Giovanna Hayward '08 are all returning members of last year's top seven. While seniors Jessie Posilkin, Lana Momani and Christine DeStephan are expected to provide the Owls with leadership this season, juniors Carolyn Cost and Caroline Brigham and sophomores Christina Krushen, Hannah Hagstrom and Meg Grehl will bring solid depth to the team.

Incoming freshwomen Katherine Weng, Julia Lustick and Patricia Crystal have the potential to contend for the top positions on the team.

The Bryn Mawr harriers look forward to bettering their seventh-place performance at last year's extremely tight Centennial Conference Championship race and are confident about building a strong, competitive program for the future.

The cross-country team will begin its season on Sept.10, when the Owls travel to the Towson Invitational at Oregon Park in Maryland. Click Here for the cross country team's complete 2005 schedule.

Field Hockey Team to Draw on Experience in 2005 Season

The field-hockey team looks poised to build upon a 2004 season in which the squad gained a wealth of experience. A number of top contributors from last year's team will return this season, and while the Centennial Conference is consistently one of the most competitive field hockey leagues in the nation, Head Coach Danya Pilgrim has high hopes for this year's team in both league play and nonconference competition.

Leading the Owls in 2005 will be senior co-captains Katie Maza and Megan Williams. Maza is an explosive attacker who has been a consistent goal-scorer during her career (three goals and one assist in 2004), while Williams moved to the forward line last year after playing two years as a defender. A skillful and composed playmaker, Williams led the team in shots last year and in assists the past two seasons. Her 2004 season was capped by a three-assist effort in a 4-5 double-overtime defeat against crosstown rival Haverford.

Bryn Mawr will feature an incredibly talented defense this season, led by junior Amy Johnson and sophomore Rachel Zack. A stellar defender, Johnson came through for the Owls last season with more of an offensive push, leading the team with four goals. Zack had a solid season as a freshwoman in 2004 and will be looked upon to do more of the same in 2005. Johnson and Zack finished the 2004 campaign among the national leaders in defensive saves. They tied for the conference lead in defensive saves in Centennial games (four) and tied for third in the conference for overall defensive saves (six). As a team, the Owls finished third in the Centennial Conference with 16 defensive saves in 17 games.

On the attack, junior Diane Ghrist and sophomore Ashley Dawkins will bring scoring experience to the team, while junior Rachel Freeland should contribute on offense after being one of the first players off the bench last season.

Senior Nicole Huynh and newcomer Rachel Brady will contend for the goalie position this season.

Bryn Mawr opens up its 2005 season at Immaculata University on Sept. 7 and hosts its first home game on Sept. 10 against Mary Baldwin College (Va.). Last season, the Owls defeated Immaculata 2-1 at home and fell to Mary Baldwin on the road, 0-1.

Other nonconference contests this season include Maryland colleges Hood and Goucher as well as Sweet Briar College (Va.). In 2004, Bryn Mawr lost a close contest at Sweet Briar, 1-3.

The Owls' conference schedule features competition against three teams — Ursinus, Franklin and Marshall, and Gettysburg, which finished in the top 20 nationally last season in the NFHCA poll. Also in conference play, Bryn Mawr will look to avenge last year's 4-5 double-overtime loss against Haverford.

Click Here to view the full 2005 field hockey schedule.

2005 Soccer Team Boasts Senior Leadership and Talented Newcomers

Thanks to a strong core of returning players and a talented recruiting class, Head Coach Amy Nakamoto and her Bryn Mawr soccer team are ready to make some noise in the Centennial Conference this season.

The Owls will be led this season by senior co-captains Bridget Dolphin and Katy Shaw. Dolphin, a tough outside defender and three-year starter, will make an impact in the central or outside defense and midfield in her second year as a team captain. This will mark the first season as a captain for Shaw, who was a key central midfielder last year, seeing time on the outside and up front.

Sophomores Zoe Fuller-Young and Krystin Wessner will join Bridget Dolphin as the top contributors on defense. Fuller-Young started every game last season as a freshwoman defender and will continue her defensive role while also being pushed into the midfield for offensive production. Krystin Wessner also started every game last season as a freshwoman for the Owls, seeing time at both defender and midfield. A quick and tenacious player, Wessner's speed and quickness will be used both as a central and outside defender this season.

Also expected to be a key figure in the Bryn Mawr defense is senior Amelia Taylor. Coming off an injury that forced her to sit out last season, Taylor will be a big presence in the central defense.

Offensively, senior co-captain Katy Shaw will be joined by sophomores Wallis Romzek and Michelle Corder to help bolster scoring production this season. A strong outside midfielder with great passing ability, Romzek started every game last season as a freshwoman and will be looked upon to develop more defensively and become a threat in the attacking third. Junior Caitlyn Clark will add to the Owls' scoring power as a target player and playmaker up front.

Sophomore Sarah Simons will be pushed by newcomers Collette Pullion and Allie Blackwood for playing time at keeper this season.

Other newcomers expected to contribute this season include Mia Theroux, Jessica Nishiguchi, Sydni Meyer, Jean Chung, Megan Calhoun and Arianae Tsavaris. Theroux, a skillful central midfielder with play-making ability, will be an immediate impact player and attacker in the midfield this season. A speedy midfielder and defender, Nishiguchi is also expected to make an immediate impact for the Owls. Meyer and Chung are also expected to be key players on this year's team.

Bryn Mawr opens the season at home on Sept. 6 against the Philadelphia Biblical University at 7 p.m. Other nonconference games this season include Albright College, Immaculata University, Shenandoah University (Va.), Widener University, Goucher College (Md.), Cabrini College and Gallaudet University (D.C.). Last season, Bryn Mawr shut out both Philadelphia Bible (4-0) and Gallaudet (3-0) to begin the year.

The Owls begin conference play at home on Sept. 22 against Haverford College at 4 p.m. Click Here to view the full 2005 soccer schedule.

Volleyball Team Aims to Make the Most of Strong Team Chemistry and Home Schedule

A young but experienced 2005 Bryn Mawr volleyball team will put a highly competitive product on the court this season. Unlike recent years, this season offers the Owls a considerable number of home contests.

Head Coach Joan Braid's team will be led this season by the squad's two seniors, setter/libero Taylor Beaudry and setter Stephanie Heslop. Beaudry begins this fall coming off an excellent 2004 season in which she led the team in minutes (82) and assists (326) and also recorded 265 digs. Heslop returns to the court after spending her junior year abroad. After racking up 496 assists and 3.94 digs per game during the 2003 campaign, Heslop figures to be a key contributor this year.

Returning juniors this season include Virginia Smith, Louisa Smythe, Alice Stead and Daniela Martinez. The foursome played in a combined 217 games last season and will contribute both experience and leadership to the team this year. Smith, Smythe and Stead already have two years of varsity playing experience for the Owls.

Newcomers to the 2005 team include sophomore Sasha Toten and freshwomen Allison Lee-Villanueva, Katherine Kronbergs, Elizabeth Sinclair, Lindsey Kieffaber and Christina Avgerinos. The Owls will be managed by sophomore Dena Feldman.

The Owls will begin their season at home on Saturday, Sept. 3, in a "Main Line" tri-match. Bryn Mawr will begin the day against Harcum College at 11 a.m. After squaring off against Harcum, the Owls will take on Rosemont College at 3 p.m.

On Saturday, Sept. 10, the team will travel to Cabrini College for a tri-match with DeSales University, and then the Owls will return home on Sept. 13 to face Lincoln University at 7 p.m.

Click Here to view the complete 2005 volleyball schedule.

Outlook Bright for 2005-06 Rowing Team

Senior co-captains Courtney Moore and Maggie Tucker will be joined by fellow seniors Katherine Pioli, Rheanna Bensel, Beth Lennon and Stefanie Fedak to lead an experienced rowing team this season. All six seniors raced in the Varsity 8 last season and started their rowing careers as freshwomen, except for Fedak, who joined the team as a sophomore. The strength and experience of the group also includes juniors Kate Devine and Elle Ender-Stacey.

Returning members from the Junior Varsity Crew include junior Sky Stegall and sophomores Helen Whalen-Cohen, McCurdy Miller and Astra Bryant. Five other returning juniors will begin rowing in the spring after they return from semesters abroad: Tara Anderson, Perrin Braun, Gillian Confair, Bethany Keffala and Hannah Reiss.

Five talented freshwomen with high-school rowing experience will join the program this year. Allison Eiselen, Lauren Eisenbrey, Katherine Faigen, Julia Kelly and coxswain Joanna Dauber will be looked upon to contribute to the rowing team this year.

The Bryn Mawr Crew begin their season on Oct. 15 at the Navy Day Regatta in Philadelphia. Click Here for the complete rowing schedule.

Young and Talented Tennis Team Hits the Courts with Optimism

The fall 2005 tennis team features a group of young, talented and dedicated players. The Owls will be led by four returning sophomores — Leah Blankenship, Melissa Mansh, April Lee and Steffi Aspero.

Bryn Mawr will compete this year without graduated seniors Jen Mansh and Abby Fritz, who played first and singles, respectively, for the Owls last season. However, Blankenship and Lee combined last season for eight victories at third and fifth singles, respectively, and are poised to build on the experience they gained last year as freshwomen.

Mansh and Lee played together last season on third doubles and Aspero teamed up with Fritz on second doubles. Senior Jessie Tarlov will add to the Owls' youthful experience by returning to the Owls' lineup in 2005 after spending her junior year abroad.

Head Coach Jody Law's team features a strong recruiting class, including Mimi Nguyen (Wilmington, Del.), Amanda Preston (Yarmouth, Maine), Karen Ginsburg (Lawrence, N.Y.) and Priscila Roney (Brussels, Belgium).

Said Coach Law about her squad, "I am very excited for the start of the fall season. The players are very talented, eager and dedicated. I anticipate a great year and a strong showing in the conference."

The tennis team opens up its fall season at home on Sept. 14 against Arcadia University at 4 p.m.

Click Here to view the complete fall 2005 tennis schedule.

— by Sports Information Director Zachary Pretzer

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